aerial shot
a shot from high above, usually from a crane or helicopter
angle
the position of the camera or the point of view in relation to the subject being shown
cinematography
all the visual elements of a film; the creative choices related to composition, lighting, camera motion, color, depth-of-field (how much of the shot is in focus versus how much is blurry), zoom, blocking (the positioning of people and objects within any g
blocking
the details of an actress/actor's moves in relation to the camera; the choreography of a scene with all of the elements on the set (actors, extras, vehicles, crew, equipment)
close-up
an image in which the distance between the subject and the point of view is short, as in a close-up of a person's face
cutting
changing from one image to another
focus
the clarity and detail of an image; sharpness of the image
deep focus
the foreground and the background are equally in focus
shallow focus
one part of the image is in focus, while another part of the image is not in focus
rack focus
when the camera shifts focus from one object to another in order to direct the audience's attention
frame
the borders of the image within which the subject is composed
full shot
a shot that shows the whole body of an individual being filmed
handheld shot
shooting technique in which a camera is held in the camera operator's hands as opposed to being mounted on a tripod or other base
jump cut
cut within the continuous action of a shot, creating a spatial or temporal jump or discontinuity within the action
long shot
an image in which the distance between the camera and the subject is great
medium shot
a shot that shows an individual from the waist up
mirror shot
a shot that reveals a person or scene through its reflection in a mirror
mis-en-scene
the arrangement of everything that appears in the framing - actors, lighting, d�cor, props, costume, etc. ; that which is placed before the camera
off-screen space
areas that are not shown by the image but sometimes suggested by actions or words within the image
pan
a shot that pivots from left to right or right to left without the camera changing its position
point of view
the position from which an action or subject is seen, often determining its significance
point of view shot
a subjective shot that reproduces a character's optical point of view
reaction shot
a shot that cuts from an object, person, or action to show another person or persons' reaction
scene
generally thought of as the action in a single location and continuous time; a scene normally occurs in one location and deals with one action; the end of a scene is often indicated by a change in time, action and/or location
score
recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture; comprises a number of orchestral, instrumental, or choral pieces called cues, which are timed to begin and end at specific points during the film in order to enhance the drama
set
the place or location used for a specific scene or shot in a film
shot
a continuously exposed and unedited image of any length
shot/reverse shot
an editing pattern that cuts between individuals according to the logic of their conversation
take
the amount of time during a given shot
tilt shot
a shot that moves vertically up or down without changing the position of the camera
tracking shot
the movement of the image through a scene, photographed by a camera mounted on tracks. A dolly shot creates the same movement with a camera mounted on a mechanical cart, while a handheld camera is mounted on a cameraperson's shoulder
zoom shot
the movement of the image according to focal adjustments of the lens, without the camera being moved
imagery
the usage of familiar images that will resonate with certain demographics of an audience, therefore enhancing their reaction of whatever it is they are seeing; when films utilize culturally familiar imagery to relate to the audience and bring them further
intertextuality
intertextuality refers to the way in which texts gain meaning through their referencing or evocation of other texts/works of art (These references are made to influence the reader and add layers of depth to a text, based on the readers' prior knowledge an